Electric-current controller.



ELECTRIC CURRENT CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19,1906.

jrzaeia o -s C. (2 CZZZM- E4030 PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. A. E. DION & C. W. BALL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. DION AND CHARLES W; BALL, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT CONTROLLER.-

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. as, 1908.

Application filed November 19.1906. Serial No 344.097.

matic control of the quantity of current they.

contract to supply. This is accomplished by a certain arrangement of resistance, so

introduced in the main circuit that in the event of an attempt to draw from said circuit more than the load contracted for, the voltage will be intermittentl reduced during all I the time the excess of oad is maintained.

If our device is used to control a predetermined number of electric lights, anyattempt to add one or more lights in excess, these lights will intermittently disturb the voltage in the circuit, and render the lightin unbearable, on account of the lights eing dimmed and glowed in comparative rapid interval.

()ur mechanism is hereinafter described in the following specification ,which must be read in connection with the drawings annexed, and in which similar letters of reference denote the same parts throughout.

Figure 1 represents in front view the complete controller excepting the cover. Fig. 2 1s a section on line y, y, Fi 1.

Upon a suitable base a t 1e whole mechanism is mounted, this base has a cover not shown, which'may be of metal or glass, 1) are perforated lugs to fasten the base, 0 is a suspending ear, m m are the binding screws for the-mam circuit wires, m bein the leading in bindin screw, and m the out et.

In the following'descript'ion, we will consider the controller connected and in actual use on a normal load. As previously said, the current enters at m, and asses to the binding screw A, then througi the wire 1, the solenoid B, the flexible looped wire 2, the plunger rod 3, the mercury 4, the contact spring 5, the binding post 5, the wire 6, the bindin screw E, to outlet binding screw m, We wil now describe the solenoid and its movements, B is the coil shown in section in F i 2, D is the armature, consisting preferab y of a hollow iron tube, to the upper end of the armature, D, is rigidl fastened the bar g, which extends an equa length on both sides of the armature, this bar is perforated vertically at U. U. and horizontally at V. V. the solenoid is mounted between a base plate .9, and a top late t, these plates are bound fast to the so enoid ends by the rods k, the base plate 8 carries a mercury cup C, positioned centrally, and below the solenoid coil, the same plate carries also a binding post 5, and a binding screw 7, the top plate 25 carries two upright posts 0, positioned as shown, the

uprights serve as guides for the bar g, because they extend through the perforations U. U. of the same, the top ends of the upright posts 0, are bifurcated, mounted in this bifurcation are the beams d. (1., said beams are fulcrumed at ac, each. beam d carries an adjustable weight II, this weight is made to slide lon itudinally on the beam, and is fixed thereto )y a set screw as 12. The beams d. d. are connected at their outer ends to the bar 9 of the solenoid armature by means of links e. e., and at their inner ends to the contact plunger 3, by links at the point n, by this connection, it wil be evident that the movement of the beams is synchronous with that of the solenoid armature D, when this armature plunges deeper in the solenoid, the

outer ends of the beams receive a corresponding lowering, the inner ends are raised and as the contact plunger 3 is connected thereto, it will beraised completely or partly out of the mercu 4.

We will now fo low the course'of'the electric current when the load on the circuit is greater than contracted for.

From m. the current passes through A, through wire 1, through solenoidcoil B, wire 10, contact screw 7, wire 8, resistance F, wire 9, wire 6, binding screw E, binding screw m into the circuit. It must be noted that an excess of current through the solenoid disturbs the equilibrium of the scale beams d. d. because this energy pulls down the solenoid armature, and consequently destroys the normal circuit by raising the contact plunger 3 out of mercury 4, the current in that case.

controller does not put out the lights and is an advantage over a 1 devices, where the circuit is intermittently broken and connected. These make and break mechanism, we hereby disclaim and We claim as our invention:

1. In an electric controller, a main circuit, lights in the said circuit, a shunt circuit, a resistance in the said shunt circuit, an automatic cut out in said circuit, said out out consisting of a solenoid, a hollow armature for said solenoid, a contact rod movably mounted inside of said hollow armature and means connecting said armature and contact rod, to break the contact when a current above a predetermined strength is passing through the solenoid.

2. In a controller for electric circuits, a main circuit, a shunt circuit, a solenoid in the main circuit, a hollow armature for said solenoid, a air of beams, a plunger contact rod passing t ough said hol ow armature, connections between said beams and said armature, and connections between said beams 1 .sisting in solenoi 3. In a controller for electric circuits, a circuit conducting the current unobstructed, when the load is normal, an automatic resistance shuntin device in said circuit cona hollow armature for said solenoid, a pair of beams connected to the said armature, a lunger contact rod mounted to move insi e of said hollow armature, and connecting links between said armature and beams, and between said beams and said contact rod, so balanced that the said rod will be raised out of contact when an increased current causes the said armature to plunge further into said solenoid.

4. In a controller for electric circuits a solenoid through which the whole current passes, a hollow solenoid armature, a contact rod movabl mounted through said hollow armature, anr means connecting said armature and said contact rod to raise said contact rod out ofcontact, when the said armature'is pulled further into said solenoid by an increased current.

ALBERT E. DION. CHAS. W. BALL.

Witnesses:

Rom. P. Moonm, J. STEVENS. 

